How to Pull Off a Last-Minute Party

Friends just called to say they're in town, you just landed a promotion
or maybe just the movie was sold out. Whatever the occasion, be
quick on your feet to pull off a fabulous spur-of-the-moment fe^te.

Instructions

1. Stock a range of party staples that can become an instant feast. Pasta is easy and quick--and almost everyone has an extra box in the cupboard. Other basics include balsamic vinegar and olive oil, Parmesan cheese, canned whole tomatoes, jars of pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, crackers, chips and jars of salsa, soy sauce and rice wine vinegar (for easy dipping sauces), boxed cake mixes and ice cream.

2. Stock extra wine, champagne and beer, hard alcohol and mixers. You can blend margarita mix and tequila with ice in seconds.

3. Give them something to snack on: You should always have nuts and olives at the ready. Then put out crackers, chips and salsa, raw veggies and ranch dressing, or quesadillas cut into thin strips.

4. Fire up the grill. People can catch up outside while you make appetizers (grilled bread with mozzarella and fresh basil), dinner (salmon, kebabs, portobello mushroom burgers) and even dessert (grilled peaches with vanilla ice cream).

5. Let your guests assemble and serve their own meals from food bars with mashed potato fixings and chili, build-your-own burritos or ice-cream sundae ingredients.

6. Buy a roasted chicken for an impromptu dinner party and pull together easy side dishes: smashed boiled red potatoes (skins on) with herbed goat cheese mixed in, a green salad and the frozen green veggie of your choice cooked with a little butter and salt.

Tips & Warnings

• Create mood lighting; glaring bright lights can kill any party. Turn off overhead lights, light some votive candles and turn on low table lamps.

• Chocolate chips can be melted in a microwave and drizzled on top of vanilla ice cream.

• If you're serving takeout and passing it off as homemade, saute' an onion and a few garlic cloves on the stovetop over low heat. The whole house will smell like some serious home cooking.

• Make use of your grocery store's convenience foods such as prepared fruit trays, bagged salads, deli potato salad and marinated and assembled kebabs from the meat counter.